It’s the stupid economy, you stupid economists

We are expected to constantly increase our production, and purchasing. If retail sales, share prices, or property prices don’t continue to grow, there is doom and gloom from the pundits.

Marketers use manipulation to persuade us to discard our old stuff, and buy new. Fashion decrees that last year’s hot new look is now unattractive, and we must buy this season’s latest. Our technological gadgets are constantly in need of replacing to keep up with the latest innovations.

But there is a huge flaw in the theory of constant growth. We live on a finite planet that is already overpopulated, with finite resources.

Oil is not the only commodity that is reaching the limits of capacity to supply. Many minerals that are used in the myriad of products we now take for granted as components of civilized life, may soon be in short supply. (See Earth Audit by David Cohen, New Scientist May26-Jun1 2007, Vol.194, Iss.2605, pg 34).

Why don’t economists get it? Why do we unquestioningly swallow their “expert” pontifications?

To put it as plainly as I can –

We – can’t – keep – on – using – up – all – the – earth’s – resources.They – will – run – out. There – isn’t – enough – land – and – water – for – today’s – population – to – have – the – standard – of – living – you – and – I – currently – enjoy. (See From Naked Ape to Superspecies, David Suzuki and Holly Dressel).

Limiting population growth is an urgent imperative. Even here in New Zealand, the pressure on our environment from only four million people, living a lifestyle of excessive consumption, has caused many pollution problems.

We must work towards a new economic system that has the common sense to acknowledge that continual growth is physically impossible.

Are you asking Anne to pass her news-gathering gadget to you when she ‘needs’ to update it, and therefore I guess challenging Anne’s integrity in writing her opinion piece?

Or are you suggesting the students at Whitireia Journalism School don’t need news-gathering gadgets? Because if that, I’d like to say I’m a techno-cynic to the max – and I can truthfully say without being able to record my interviews (for accuracy in quoting); take photos of events/people/objects relevant to the story I’m writing (for the web, for newspapers, to help tell the story); take videos of news-worthy events (so we can publish video on newsire.org.nz) etc etc I won’t bore you….well, without these tools I’d be struggling to learn the things I need as a student journo (also at Whitireia).

I won’t be ‘updating’ my gadget unnecessarily, I can tell you – in fact, the more cynical of my friends would tell you that I’ll still have it when I die – and to be honest, from what I’ve observed of Anne, I think it’s unlikely she’ll be passing hers on anytime soon either.